Chapter Summaries

Plot points

• Takuya ambushes the mutated Gazort from the shadows with his Dark Zeperion Ray, destroying it.
• Daigo, transformed into Diga’s faster Sky Type, pursues Takuya and finally catches up.
• Takuya teaches Daigo to communicate telepathically, then presents himself as “Obsidian Diga,” Earth’s guardian deity.
• Claiming that some monsters are victims of humans’ destruction of their habitats, Takuya argues that monsters should be judged individually rather than treated as uniformly evil.
• In exchange for this supposed guidance, Takuya asks Daigo to stall future monsters until he arrives, so he can decide what should happen to them. Daigo agrees, though he worries about his limited transformation time.
• Before Daigo can ask what Takuya’s “judgment” entails, his transformation expires. Takuya leaves, and the chapter notes that Ultramen can evade Earth Defense Force satellites when they choose to conceal themselves.

Character developments and interactions

• Daigo is eager to understand Takuya and the giants, but is inexperienced at communicating while transformed. He accepts Takuya’s advice and agrees to cooperate, showing trust despite practical concerns about his energy limit.
• Takuya is strategic and manipulative: he uses a dramatic “wise senior” persona and invents a guardian-deity identity to secure Daigo’s help. He also frames his request as a moral duty to protect monsters from unfair treatment.
• Their encounter shifts from pursuit to negotiation. Takuya controls the conversation, while Daigo listens respectfully and is persuaded before he can learn what Takuya’s judgments will involve.

Significant themes

• Moral ambiguity: Monsters, like humans, may be good or bad; their actions can be shaped by how people treat them.
• Trust and manipulation: Daigo’s sincere curiosity makes him receptive to Takuya’s claims, while Takuya uses partial truths and bluffing to gain cooperation.
• Limits and responsibility: Daigo’s short transformation window complicates his promise to delay monsters, highlighting the risks of acting responsibly under strict constraints.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• On the third day, no monster appeared in the Ultraman world, but Takuya received a side quest connected to a Victory Team member. Completing it earned him 50 Anime Points.
• After another ten days, Takuya switched saves and extended his stay in the Ultraman world by one month. During that period, he accumulated nearly 1,000 Anime Points.
• He used the points to purchase Gold Experience Cards and raise several jungle champions—Pantheon, Xin Zhao, Lee Sin, Lillia, Naafiri, and “Sasori”—to SSS proficiency in the League of Legends world.
• With points remaining, he exchanged them for one million yuan, intending to use the money as an investment to join NIP’s League of Legends team.
• Takuya planned to approach NIP after their likely playoff defeat, believing management and the players would be more receptive once the team’s confidence and momentum had been shaken.
• While waiting, he maintained the number-one position on the Korean server. Three major livestreaming platforms—Shark, Leopard Fang, and Douyin—approached him for exclusive streaming rights.
• Takuya rejected their six-month contracts because he intended to become a professional player and could not meet long-term streaming requirements. He proposed a one-month, unpaid contract in exchange for full promotional support and temporary platform branding.
• Douyin accepted immediately. Takuya visited its headquarters with a lawyer, reviewed the contract carefully because of his previous bad experience with RNG, and signed it.
• He returned to the esports hotel and waited while Douyin prepared promotional material for his debut stream as the Korean server’s number-one player.

Character Development

• Takuya demonstrates increasing strategic patience. Rather than rushing to contact NIP while the team was winning, he waited for a moment when management and teammates would be more willing to consider replacing AKI.
• His confidence in his abilities has grown substantially. After improving his gaming talent and champion proficiency through the system, he believes he can outperform AKI and earn a starting position.
• He is also becoming more financially independent and calculating. The one million yuan investment is designed to make him more attractive to NIP while allowing him to avoid demanding a salary.
• Takuya remains cautious after being mistreated by RNG, bringing a lawyer to inspect the Douyin contract.
• He is determined to preserve his identity as a professional player rather than being reduced to a streamer, even while recognizing that publicity could help him secure a place on NIP.

Significant Themes

• Strategic patience: Takuya waits for the right opportunity instead of acting impulsively.
• Self-investment and ambition: He uses system rewards, money, and publicity to build a path toward professional success.
• Professional identity: Takuya refuses to commit to a streamer career because he sees himself primarily as a player.
• Competition and instability in esports: NIP’s roster decisions, AKI’s inconsistent form, and the team’s financial limitations highlight the precarious nature of professional gaming.
• Trust and caution: Takuya’s insistence on legal review reflects his growing awareness of contractual risks.
• Publicity as leverage: Although he does not want to become a full-time streamer, he understands that becoming famous could increase his value and improve his chances of joining NIP.

Character Interactions

• Takuya’s intended competition with AKI is central to his plan. He believes his superior consistency, one-million-yuan investment, and willingness to play without salary make him a more attractive option.
• He recognizes that AKI’s friendships with Shanji and ppgod could create resistance, but he chooses not to worry about their reactions until he has actually secured an opportunity.
• The three streaming platforms compete for Takuya’s rights, but only Douyin responds decisively to his unconventional terms.
• Takuya interacts cautiously and professionally with Douyin, relying on his lawyer to ensure the contract contains no hidden traps.
• His relationship with NIP remains indirect: he is waiting for the team’s eventual defeat before presenting himself as a solution to its roster problems.

Key plot points and events

• Takuya maintains first place on the Korean server, preserving a roughly 160-point lead and earning 30 Anime Points for each day he stays at the top.
• He prepares for his Douyin debut, scheduled for 8 p.m. The platform promotes him heavily, directing League of Legends viewers to his stream.
• His audience quickly climbs past 10,000. Takuya introduces himself as the Korean server’s number-one player and a former RNG Academy substitute, and says he is in contact with clubs about competing in the LPL.
• After a long queue, he enters a high-level match and picks Lee Sin, aiming to entertain viewers with a stylish, aggressive playstyle.
• Around 25 minutes in, he uses Lee Sin’s Q, ward-hop, and R-Flash to kick the enemy ADC into his team, then escapes through the Raptors. His team kills the ADC, secures Infernal Dragon Soul, and moves to threaten Baron.

Character development and interactions

• Takuya is confident and pragmatic: he protects his ranking, plans his debut carefully, and chooses a popular champion to showcase his skill. He remains unfazed by hostile comments, preferring to ignore or mute trolls.
• Viewers react with a mix of admiration and skepticism. His impressive play rapidly wins approval, with the chat flooding the stream with praise.
• Takuya’s team coordinates around objectives, while the opposing jungler weighs the danger of contesting Dragon Soul and backs off. The enemy ADC rushes toward Baron after respawning, setting up the next confrontation.

Significant themes

• Ambition and persistence: Takuya balances climbing the ladder with pursuing a professional career and building an audience.
• Performance and reputation: His skill on-screen helps overcome doubts and negative perceptions.
• Composure under pressure: He handles both online criticism and tense in-game decisions without losing focus.

Chapter Summary: “Setting Off!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Takuya’s team launches a coordinated attack on Baron after spotting the entire enemy team inside the pit.
• Takuya’s support initiates the fight, allowing Takuya to find the perfect angle for a powerful kick. Although he misses the enemy carry, he kicks the support and chains the ability through three additional enemies, knocking up four players.
• The enemy ADC escapes early, but Takuya’s team wins the fight four kills to zero.
• Rather than take another objective, Takuya’s team pushes down mid while the enemy players are dead. They destroy the inhibitor turret and force a final engagement beneath the inhibitor.
• The enemy ADC dies after the red-side top laner flashes in and tanks the turret, allowing Takuya’s team to destroy the Nexus and win the game.
• The match is revealed to be a high-level Korean Challenger game worth ten thousand points, featuring multiple LCK and LEC professionals. Takuya’s team, which includes three pros, dominates.
• Takuya immediately queues for another game and entertains viewers with videos while waiting.
• Influential Douyin streamers are encouraged by their managers to promote Takuya’s stream. Their viewers begin watching him, impressed by the unusually high concentration of professional players in his matches.
• Over a six-hour stream, Takuya plays nine games, winning eight. His popularity and follower count rise sharply, and fans begin comparing him favorably to professional junglers and demanding that teams recruit him.
• As February progresses, major playoff results occur as expected: NIP sweeps RNG, TT loses to JDG, and Anyone’s Legend defeats NIP after outdrafting them.
• NIP’s elimination convinces Takuya that the moment is right to approach the organization and recommend himself.
• He leaves Magic City, flies to Shenzhen, and travels directly to NIP’s headquarters, determined to secure a place on the team.

Character Developments

• Takuya: Demonstrates exceptional game sense, mechanical skill, and decisiveness through his game-winning teamfight initiation. His successful stream establishes him as a rising celebrity and potential professional-level jungler. His confidence grows, and he becomes determined to turn his online success into a professional career.
• Enemy ADC: Plays much more cautiously after the earlier encounter, hiding behind teammates and retreating before Takuya can target him. Although he survives the initial fight, he is later isolated and killed during the base defense.
• Takuya’s teammates: Show strong coordination, with the support initiating, the top laner forcing the final turret engagement, and the team quickly recognizing that ending the game is better than taking another neutral objective.
• Professional and streaming communities: Major streamers and their managers begin supporting Takuya’s exposure, while viewers increasingly regard him as someone who could replace underperforming professional junglers.

Significant Themes

• Skill overcoming reputation: Takuya proves that an unknown streamer can outperform established professional players through superior execution.
• Teamwork and coordination: The Baron fight and final push succeed because Takuya’s team acts decisively and combines their abilities effectively.
• Seizing opportunities: Takuya recognizes that NIP’s playoff loss creates the opening he needs and acts immediately rather than waiting.
• Ambition and transformation: His rise from high-ranked player to popular streamer marks a major step toward his goal of becoming a professional player.
• History versus change: Major events unfold exactly as expected, emphasizing that Takuya’s influence has not yet altered the established timeline. His visit to NIP may be the first event capable of changing that history.

Character Interactions

• Takuya coordinates with his support and teammates during the Baron fight, using their initiation to land a devastating multi-target kick.
• He engages playfully with viewers, confidently claiming that the enemy Western professional player posed no threat.
• Large streamers indirectly support Takuya by keeping his stream open and directing viewers toward him.
• Fans compare Takuya with professional junglers and tag team managers and Takuya himself on social media, increasing pressure for teams to recruit him.
• After arriving at NIP’s headquarters, Takuya messages someone at the club, preparing to make his direct approach.

Chapter Summary: “NIP Headquarters!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Takuya arrives at NIP’s headquarters, expecting to meet Doinb, but is greeted by NIP bot laner Leave, whose real name is Hong Chao.
• Takuya explains that he has come not merely to visit Doinb, but to try out for NIP’s jungle position.
• Hong Chao is surprised because he was unaware that the team was considering replacing its jungler, AKI.
• Hong Chao reflects on NIP’s recent loss to Anyone’s Legend. Although NIP pushed the series to five games, AKI was passive and ineffective throughout the match, being completely outperformed by Tarzan.
• Hong Chao believes that replacing or strengthening the jungle position could give NIP a genuine chance to win the split and qualify for the international Global First Stand.
• He also sees the opportunity as important for his own career. Since being released by EDG in 2024, he has wanted to prove that he still belongs among the LPL’s best players and has never attended an international event.
• Hong Chao takes Takuya to the training room, where Takuya meets Doinb.
• Doinb recognizes Takuya as “relife,” the professional jungler who has dominated the Korean server ladder and recently reached Rank 1 with an exceptional win rate.
• Doinb recalls playing with relife in a ranked game and being impressed by his jungle tempo, coordination, and ability to appear exactly where needed. Their teamwork allowed Doinb to roam freely and recreate the comfortable style he associated with his S9 World Championship days.
• Doinb had previously considered relife an outstanding talent but had not recruited him because NIP’s roster was already full and the team had been performing well.
• After NIP’s loss to Anyone’s Legend, however, AKI’s weaknesses became impossible to ignore. Doinb now has clear reason to reconsider the team’s jungle situation.
• The chapter ends with NIP awaiting the result of the Top Esports versus IG losers’ bracket match, which will determine their next opponent.

Character Developments

• Takuya: Confidently pursues a professional opportunity and directly presents himself as a candidate for NIP’s jungle position. His high Korean-server ranking establishes him as an elite and disciplined player.
• Hong Chao/Leave: Initially surprised, he quickly becomes hopeful about Takuya’s arrival. His frustration with AKI’s inconsistency reveals his ambition and desire for NIP to contend for the championship.
• Doinb: Demonstrates strong recognition of talent and tactical understanding. Although he is disappointed by the team’s loss, he remains composed and is clearly intrigued by Takuya’s abilities.
• AKI: Is characterized as an inconsistent jungler whose passive performance becomes especially damaging against strong opponents.
• NIP as a team: The loss to Anyone’s Legend exposes a major weakness and forces the team to consider changes despite an otherwise successful split.

Significant Themes

• Opportunity and redemption: Takuya seeks a chance to return to professional play, while Hong Chao wants to prove EDG was wrong to discard him.
• Talent recognition: Doinb’s respect for Takuya shows how exceptional performance can attract attention even before formal recruitment.
• Team-building and weak links: NIP’s success depends on correcting its jungle instability, showing how one underperforming role can undermine an otherwise competitive roster.
• Ambition and international glory: The possibility of winning the split and attending the Global First Stand gives the players a larger goal beyond individual matches.
• Experience versus potential: Doinb’s championship experience and Takuya’s explosive recent performance represent two different forms of value that could complement each other.

Character Interactions

• Takuya and Hong Chao: Their first meeting is friendly and informal. Hong Chao’s initial surprise turns into enthusiasm as he realizes Takuya may solve NIP’s biggest problem.
• Takuya and Doinb: They greet each other warmly, with Takuya identifying himself as a fan. Doinb responds enthusiastically because he already knows Takuya’s reputation and has personally experienced his skill in ranked play.
• Doinb and relife’s past teamwork: Their earlier ranked game demonstrated strong jungle-mid synergy, with Takuya enabling Doinb to roam, coordinate dives, and control the game.
• Hong Chao and AKI: Though they do not interact directly in the chapter, Hong Chao’s thoughts reveal his growing doubts about AKI and his hope that Takuya can replace him.

Chapter Summary: “Normal Performance Would Be No Problem”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Doinb considers NIP’s possible next opponents, preferring Invictus Gaming because he feels he understands their playstyle and is confident NIP could beat them. He is much more worried about Top Esports, particularly their powerful carry jungler, who he believes could overwhelm AKI.
• Takuya, also known as relife, unexpectedly contacts Doinb about trying out for NIP. After checking Takuya’s impressive recent ranked results, Doinb immediately agrees to bring him before Coach Luoshengmen and the manager.
• Doinb escorts Takuya to the manager’s office, where they meet Coach Luoshengmen and Manager Wang Qi. The manager initially questions whether NIP needs a roster change because the team had performed well overall despite losing to Anyone’s Legend.
• Takuya argues that the loss was partly caused by ineffective jungling and claims he could have changed the result. To secure an opportunity, he offers to join without requesting a salary.
• Impressed by the offer, Manager Wang agrees to arrange scrimmages. Takuya will pass the tryout if both Doinb and Coach Luoshengmen approve of his performance.
• Afterward, Takuya reveals that his suitcase contains one million in cash, joking that he had considered using it to bribe the manager. Doinb is shocked but amused, and his respect for Takuya increases.

Character Developments

• Doinb: Demonstrates strong strategic awareness by evaluating NIP’s potential opponents and recognizing AKI’s limitations against elite carry junglers. He also shows initiative and loyalty by personally supporting Takuya’s tryout. His admiration for Takuya grows after seeing his determination and unconventional willingness to play without pay.
• Takuya/relife: Establishes himself as highly confident, ambitious, and willing to take major risks to enter NIP. His rank-one status on the Korean server and previous experience with RNG’s second team support his claims, while his offer to forgo a salary shows how badly he wants the opportunity. His joke about bribing the manager highlights his bold and humorous personality.
• Manager Wang Qi: Initially cautious because of NIP’s limited budget and recent respectable performance, but quickly becomes receptive when Takuya offers to play for free. His reaction reveals a practical, financially minded approach to roster management.
• Coach Luoshengmen: Supports Doinb’s recommendation and helps persuade the manager to give Takuya a chance.
• AKI: Though mostly discussed rather than directly involved, he is portrayed as a competent but comparatively average jungler who may struggle against top-tier opponents.
• ppgad and the rest of NIP: Remain largely unaware of Takuya’s identity and purpose. Ppgad is more interested in watching a movie after the team’s defeat than in the newcomer.

Significant Themes

• Competition and roster improvement: NIP must strengthen its lineup quickly to remain competitive against elite teams.
• Confidence versus proven performance: Takuya has extraordinary ranked results, but the organization still needs to see whether he can perform in official-level scrims.
• Risk and sacrifice: Takuya is willing to give up a salary—and humorously even offers the possibility of bribery—to gain a chance at professional play.
• Strategic foresight: Doinb’s assessment of the opposing teams emphasizes how matchup advantages, especially in the jungle, can determine a series.
• Humor amid pressure: Despite the team’s defeat and serious roster concerns, the interactions between Doinb and Takuya maintain a lighthearted tone.

Character Interactions

• Doinb and Takuya quickly develop a supportive relationship, with Doinb taking responsibility for introducing him to the coaching staff.
• Doinb keeps Takuya’s identity vague when questioned by ppgad, Shanji, and AKI, suggesting he wants to avoid drawing attention before the tryout.
• Takuya directly challenges Manager Wang’s concerns by identifying NIP’s jungle weakness and offering himself as a solution.
• Manager Wang’s business-minded response contrasts with Takuya’s bold idealism, while Doinb and Coach Luoshengmen act as advocates for the potential new player.
• Takuya’s cash-filled suitcase becomes a comedic bonding moment between him and Doinb, ending with Doinb openly declaring his admiration.

Summary

NIP arranges a late-night scrim against JDG to evaluate Takuya, the jungler known online as Relife. After reviewing Takuya’s ranked-game footage, doinb and coach Luo Bing believe he could significantly strengthen the struggling team. Takuya is portrayed as versatile: capable of carrying with jungle-focused champions while also performing effectively in supportive roles and maintaining a fast tempo.
Although doinb is surprised that JDG, who won their match earlier that day, agrees to scrim so late, Luo Bing suggests they may be using NIP to prepare for AL, the team that recently defeated NIP. The scrim will also give NIP a chance to assess Takuya before facing Top Esports in the losers’ bracket.
When Luo Bing brings Takuya into the practice room, the remaining players—Leave, Shanji, ppgad, and aki—realize that he is there for a tryout. Most become tense, while Leave remains relaxed. Takuya is seated beside aki, who is playing a poor ranked game on Lee Sin and reacts to the newcomer with aloof indifference. Takuya remains polite and unbothered, choosing not to force interaction with aki.
Once the other players finish their games, Luo Bing formally introduces Takuya as a former RNG secondary-team substitute and the current rank-one player on the Korean server. Takuya takes over aki’s computer for the first scrim. During champion select, Luo Bing asks whether Takuya is comfortable first-picking Vi, but Takuya confidently says he can play anything. Shanji ultimately locks in Vi, while JDG selects Gwen and Xin Zhao, suggesting a strong dueling or zone-control composition. Luo Bing then begins planning NIP’s response with “Wolf Mother” and “Rabbit,” though the draft is still unfinished when the chapter ends.

Character Development and Interactions

• Takuya/Relife: Demonstrates confidence, flexibility, humility, and composure. Despite his actual age and experience being different from his current identity, he adapts to the situation and behaves obediently and professionally.
• Luo Bing/Rashomon: Shows optimism and urgency. He sees Takuya as a possible solution to NIP’s poor performance and future match against Top Esports, while still respecting Takuya enough to ask for his input.
• doinb: Acts as Takuya’s advocate, having supplied footage to convince the team of his ability. He remains cautiously skeptical about the value of scrims.
• aki: Appears detached and emotionally distant, barely acknowledging Takuya and readily giving up his computer.
• NIP players: Leave and Shanji are nervous about the tryout, while ppgad is distracted and aki remains indifferent.

Significant Themes

• Second chances and team rebuilding: NIP hopes Takuya can change the team’s trajectory after a disappointing loss.
• Proving ability under pressure: The scrim functions as Takuya’s audition, placing his reputation against professional players.
• Adaptability and versatility: Takuya’s ability to play any champion or role is emphasized as a major strength.
• Team dynamics and uncertainty: The players’ varying reactions reveal internal tension and differing attitudes toward the newcomer.
• Preparation versus official competition: The characters acknowledge that scrims may not perfectly reflect real matches, raising questions about how meaningful the evaluation will be.

Chapter Summary: “Uchiha Fugaku’s Four-on-One!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The scrimmage’s draft is completed:
  • Red side/JDG: Gwen, Xin Zhao, Nine-Tailed Fox, Kai’Sa, and Titan.
  • Blue side: Wolf Mother, Vi, Rabbit, Lucian, and Nami.
• Both teams use standard early-game setups and place wards near the enemy Raptors to track the opposing jungler’s starting route.
• Takuya, playing Vi under the name Relife, quickly demonstrates his exceptional jungle tempo:
  • He ganks mid with a Q–Flash combination, catching Scout and helping doinb secure first blood.
  • He then moves toward bot lane, hides in the tri-brush, and counter-ganks Xin Zhao’s attempted attack.
  • Takuya kills Titan while Xin Zhao and Kai’Sa barely escape.
• Takuya’s early pressure gives the blue side control of the map. He secures the Elemental Dragon uncontested because his mid and bot lanes have priority.
• Blue side begins a lane swap:
  • Lucian and Nami move top to pressure Gwen and take turret plates.
  • Gwen is forced to farm safely beneath her tower, while Shanji’s champion remains under pressure in bot lane.
• As the lane swap develops, doinb suggests bringing multiple players top to attack Gwen. Takuya immediately abandons his jungle camp to join him, and Lucian and Nami coordinate their wave clear in preparation.
• The chapter ends with the blue side preparing a four-person gank on Gwen, setting up the chapter’s titular “four-on-one.”

Character Developments

• Takuya/Relife: Displays confidence, calm decision-making, and highly refined jungle instincts. He repeatedly predicts enemy movements, creates successful ganks, counter-ganks Xin Zhao, secures the dragon, and adapts quickly to his teammates’ plans.
• doinb: Acts as an active shot-caller and supportive teammate. He reassures Takuya early, follows up effectively on the mid gank, and later coordinates the top-side attack.
• Leave: Becomes increasingly excited and impressed by Takuya’s performance. His confidence rises after receiving help in bot lane and seeing Takuya dominate against a highly respected jungler.
• Aki/Xun: Aki, observing Takuya’s performance, is surprised and unsettled by how thoroughly Takuya is controlling the game against Xun, a renowned professional jungler.
• Luo Bing: Quietly evaluates Takuya’s teamwork and notes his ability to respond immediately to coordinated plays.
• Scout and Titan: Both become early victims of Takuya’s pressure—Scout gives up first blood, while Titan sacrifices himself during the bot-side counter-gank.

Significant Themes

• Strategic tempo and map control: Takuya’s success comes from acting before the opposing team can respond, chaining ganks, counter-ganks, objective control, and lane swaps.
• Trust and teamwork: The blue side communicates smoothly, with Takuya instantly responding to doinb’s calls and the laners adapting their wave management to the jungler’s movements.
• Confidence versus reputation: Although Xun is an established elite jungler, Takuya’s superior early decisions allow him to seize control, showing that reputation does not guarantee in-game dominance.
• Professional growth and evaluation: The scrimmage serves as a test of Takuya’s abilities, with teammates and observers recognizing that his performance could give the team a real chance against stronger opponents such as Top Esports.
• Calculated aggression: Takuya is aggressive but not reckless; he avoids entering a suspected warded river bush, waits for the enemy to reveal himself, and chooses objectives only when his lanes can support them.

Character Interactions

• Doinb encourages Takuya to remain relaxed, and Takuya confirms that he is genuinely calm.
• Takuya and doinb combine their abilities to kill Scout in mid.
• Leave praises Takuya after witnessing the successful gank and counter-gank, developing strong confidence in the new jungler.
• Takuya’s hidden positioning allows him to protect Leave and ppgad from Xin Zhao’s attack.
• Doinb later asks Takuya about ganking top; Takuya immediately agrees and joins him, demonstrating mutual trust.
• Leave and ppgad follow the planned movement by clearing their wave, while the entire blue side prepares to collapse on Gwen.

Chapter Summary: “Newcomer”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Scout warns the team that the enemy mid laner is missing, but Ale’s Gwen is still caught in a coordinated four-man dive by NIP’s mid, jungle, AD carry, and support.
• Ale is trapped beneath his outer turret without Flash. Scout considers teleporting to save him, but realizes that NIP’s Vi is also present and abandons the idea rather than risk dying alongside him.
• NIP executes the dive cleanly. Takuya’s Vi lands the opening Q, ppgad follows with Aqua Prison, and Lucian and Nami finish Gwen with overwhelming burst damage. Leave secures the kill.
• Takuya avoids unnecessary turret damage, exits after only two shots, then continues farming his jungle instead of recalling. NIP’s bot lane takes a turret plate before resetting.
• Less than five minutes later, Takuya ganks Ale again in the bottom lane, combining his ultimate with Shanji’s to guarantee Gwen’s death after she pushes too far.
• Ale and Xun are struck by how unusually effective Vi has been. They conclude that the jungler cannot be NIP’s regular player, aki.
• Their coach confirms that NIP is fielding a rookie jungler on trial: Relife, the current Korean-server rank-one player.

Character Developments

• Ale: Becomes the target of repeated early pressure and is killed twice. His fear and frustration grow, especially because he cannot understand how the enemy jungler is suddenly performing so far above expectations.
• Scout: Shows good awareness and restraint. Although he considers teleporting to assist Ale, he correctly judges that the situation is unsalvageable and avoids turning one death into two.
• Takuya/Relife: Establishes himself as the chapter’s standout player. His Vi demonstrates decisive pathing, precise initiation, efficient turret management, and strong coordination with his teammates. His performance immediately suggests that he may be an exceptional rookie.
• Leave: Secures the first kill and is praised by doinb as a potential primary carry, comparable to elite former teammates and stars.
• Xun: His confidence and curiosity are revealed. As a highly respected jungler, he is surprised and unsettled by Relife’s ability to pressure him and influence every lane.
• doinb: Remains calm and practical, unconcerned with kill distribution and focused on maintaining efficiency. He recognizes Leave’s carrying potential.
• NIP as a team: Displays excellent coordination, especially in their tower dive and later double-ultimate gank.

Significant Themes

• The arrival of a prodigy: Relife’s debut challenges established assumptions about rookie players and immediately marks him as a possible “super rookie.”
• Strategic discipline: The chapter emphasizes calculated decision-making—Scout refusing a hopeless teleport, Takuya limiting turret damage, and NIP converting pressure into objectives.
• Team coordination versus individual survival: Ale’s death results from NIP’s four-man teamwork, while their later gank shows how coordinated abilities can make a kill nearly unavoidable.
• Changing competitive landscape: The discussion of Korean-server rankings, declining game popularity, and the rarity of new LPL talent provides broader context for why Relife’s emergence is noteworthy.

Character Interactions

• Scout warns the team and discusses whether he can teleport to save Ale; Ale urgently tells him not to come.
• NIP’s four attackers coordinate their abilities to kill Gwen beneath the turret.
• Ale complains to Xun about Vi’s strange improvement, and Xun agrees that the player is behaving unlike aki.
• The two players question their coach, who reveals Relife’s identity and confirms that he is a trial rookie.
• Xun recalls hearing about Relife’s rapid rise to Korean-server rank one but initially doubts that such rookies can truly replace established veterans.

Chapter Summary: “Three Straight Wins”

Key Plot Points and Events

• In the first scrim against JDG, NIP falls far behind after a failed top-lane tower dive and the loss of Atakhan. Recognizing that the game is unwinnable, both teams agree to surrender and type “GG” in all chat, ensuring the unofficial scrim result is not recorded.
• After a short break, the teams begin a second game. Luo Bing gives Takuya the carry jungler Zyra to test whether he can create advantages and carry a game.
• Takuya uses an experience card to raise Zyra to maximum proficiency. He repeatedly ganks JDG’s bot lane, landing precise skill shots and predicting their Flash escapes. His consistency proves that his success is based on skill rather than luck.
• Takuya’s pressure allows Leave to dominate bot lane, while doinb contributes unpredictable roams. JDG is overwhelmed and surrenders again.
• In the third scrim, Luo Bing gives Takuya the utility jungler Skarner. Takuya performs just as well, demonstrating that he can play different jungle styles rather than relying only on carry champions.
• NIP wins all three scrims. Luo Bing becomes convinced that Takuya should be signed and assures him that the team will formally discuss the contract the following day.
• Luo Bing and doinb view Takuya’s performances as a major opportunity for NIP, believing he could help them challenge Top Esports and possibly win the first split—now officially called the “victor.”
• While the team celebrates, aki becomes increasingly anxious. Since Takuya is being trialed as a jungler and has clearly outperformed him, aki fears losing his starting position.
• The next morning, Luo Bing takes the already-awake Takuya to the manager’s office to begin the signing process.

Character Developments

• Takuya/Relife: Establishes himself as an exceptionally versatile jungler. With maximum proficiency on Zyra, he displays outstanding prediction, accuracy, pathing, and game sense, then proves he can also succeed on Skarner. His three dominant performances make him appear ready for the LPL despite his limited professional experience.
• Luo Bing: Shifts from cautiously evaluating Takuya to fully endorsing him. He is impressed not only by Takuya’s mechanics but also by his ability to control games and carry after gaining a lead.
• doinb: Becomes highly enthusiastic about Takuya joining NIP. He sees Takuya’s skill and willingness to play without a salary as an extraordinary advantage.
• aki: Experiences insecurity and fear rather than celebrating the team’s success. He realizes that Takuya may directly threaten his place as NIP’s starting jungler.
• Leave: Benefits heavily from Takuya’s repeated bot-lane ganks and uses the resulting lead aggressively, even managing to fight JDG’s bot lane two-versus-one.
• JDG’s bot lane: Initially dismisses Takuya’s successful ganks as luck, but repeated precise plays force them to acknowledge his genuine ability.

Significant Themes

• Talent and opportunity: Takuya’s limited résumé contrasts sharply with his extraordinary performance, suggesting that raw ability can overcome a lack of experience.
• Adaptability and versatility: Success with both a carry jungler and a utility jungler proves that a strong player must fit different team strategies.
• Competition and insecurity: Takuya’s arrival creates excitement for NIP but threatens aki’s career, showing how one player’s opportunity can become another’s crisis.
• Confidence and renewed hope: NIP’s victories restore Luo Bing’s belief that the team can compete for major honors.
• The hidden nature of scrims: Because the games are unofficial and erased when everyone exits, Takuya’s breakthrough occurs privately, known only to the players and staff involved.

Important Character Interactions

• Takuya repeatedly outplays JDG’s bot lane, predicting their movements and Flash attempts.
• His pressure works alongside Leave’s aggressive play and doinb’s roaming style, showing strong synergy with NIP’s existing players.
• Luo Bing and doinb privately discuss Takuya’s value and agree that he should join NIP.
• Luo Bing reassures Takuya directly that he will be signed.
• aki watches these developments from the sidelines, silently comparing himself with Takuya and worrying that the rookie will replace him.

Plot points and events

• Takuya reviews NIP’s proposed six-month contract, which offers a base salary and match-win bonuses but no guaranteed starting role. He declines the money and asks only to start against Top Esports.
• Coach Luo Bing agrees, citing Takuya’s strong scrim performance against JDG and his outstanding results in high-level Korean ranked games. The manager accepts the arrangement and has the contract revised.
• Takuya signs using Lin Jingqi’s name and secures his place as NIP’s jungler for the Top Esports match. His future starting status will depend on how he performs.
• Luo Bing shows him around the base, arranges his practice-room seat and begins sorting out his living arrangements. Since the only open bed is in aki’s room—and the two are competing for the same position—Takuya says he would prefer another option. The chapter does not resolve where he will room.
• Takuya meets teammates, including Leave and doinb, then has a uniform made. Two days later, NIP takes his official photos and prepares to announce his arrival.
• Still climbing the Korean-server rankings, Takuya reaches roughly 150 points ahead of second place. He and Leave then discover they are on the same ranked team, and Takuya promises to gank Leave’s lane.

Character development and interactions

• Takuya shows confidence and single-minded ambition: he values the starting opportunity over a substantial potential salary and believes he can strengthen NIP. He also sets a boundary about sharing a room with his direct competitor.
• Luo Bing backs his judgment in Takuya’s ability, while the manager is surprised by Takuya’s willingness to forgo pay but sees financial and competitive advantages in the deal.
• Leave and doinb welcome Takuya warmly; doinb’s introduction helped bring him to NIP. Leave’s cheerful confidence carries into their friendly exchange about playing together in ranked.
• Aki remains Takuya’s rival for the jungle role, with his recent inconsistency helping make Takuya’s opportunity possible.

Significant themes

• Ambition over compensation: Takuya trades salary for a chance to prove himself onstage.
• Competition and merit: His place in the lineup is an opportunity, not a guarantee; future starts depend on performance.
• Confidence and risk: NIP is taking a calculated chance on a player whose scrim and ranked results suggest he can raise the team’s level.

Chapter Summary: “Officially Joining NIP”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Takuya demonstrates extraordinary skill on Nidalee, landing every spear in a game and earning Leave’s admiration. His confidence strengthens the team’s hope ahead of their crucial match against Top Esports.
• NIP travels from Shenzhen to West City for the elimination match, carrying their personal gaming equipment and preparing to face Top Esports at Team WE’s home venue.
• The team’s internal tension centers on the decision to start Relife instead of Aki. Coach Luo Bing has chosen Relife for the match, leaving Aki disappointed and uncertain about his future in the lineup.
• Shanji tries to reassure Aki by pointing out that Relife may struggle under the pressure of an official LPL match, despite performing well in ranked games and scrims. The team members privately expect Relife’s performance to determine whether Aki returns to the starting roster.
• Takuya reviews NIP’s official announcement confirming that he has joined the organization as jungler Lin Jingqi, under the ID “relife.” The post receives little attention and includes some hostile comments, though one Doinb fan welcomes Aki’s replacement.
• After arriving in West City, the team checks into a hotel near the Qujiang Esports Center. Doinb learns that his longtime supporter and friend Sima Laozei has traveled from Zhu City to attend the match and cheer for him.

Character Developments

• Takuya/Relife: Gains confidence after his flawless Nidalee performance. He remains cheerful and relaxed despite the importance of the upcoming match, while also beginning to recognize the significance of officially joining NIP.
• Aki: Becomes discouraged after being benched for Relife. His disappointment reflects both his attachment to the team and his fear of losing his position permanently.
• Shanji and ppgad: Show loyalty toward Aki and quietly sympathize with him, even though they acknowledge that Relife deserves a fair chance to prove himself.
• Leave: Is impressed by Takuya’s mechanics and begins relying on him as a key source of confidence before the match.
• Doinb: Remains socially connected and upbeat, maintaining his close friendship with Sima Laozei. His popularity and supportive fan relationships are emphasized.
• Relife’s teammates generally: Their attitude toward him is cautious rather than hostile; they have known Aki longer and naturally favor him, but they are willing to judge Relife by his official performance.

Significant Themes

• Competition and proving oneself: Relife must demonstrate that his strength in ranked games and scrims translates to the professional stage.
• Loyalty versus merit: The players’ support for Aki contrasts with the practical need to field whoever gives NIP the best chance to win.
• Pressure and stage performance: The chapter highlights how some players excel in practice but falter in official matches, establishing the central uncertainty surrounding Relife’s debut.
• New beginnings and reputation: Relife’s official signing marks a major turning point, though the sparse announcement response and negative comments show that he has yet to establish himself publicly.
• Team bonds and fandom: Doinb’s relationship with Sima Laozei illustrates the emotional support surrounding professional esports and the importance of personal connections during high-pressure competition.

Character Interactions

• Leave enthusiastically praises Takuya’s Nidalee and encourages him before the match.
• Shanji comforts Aki after the roster decision, while ppgad shares Shanji’s concern for him.
• Takuya examines the fan response to his signing, noticing both curiosity and criticism.
• Doinb tells Takuya and the others about Sima Laozei’s journey to the venue, prompting the team to discuss their friendship and the distance he traveled.

Chapter Summary: “First Appearance!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Luo Bing and the NIP players arrive at their hotel, where he has booked a five-person esports room and a separate room for himself.
• The team sleeps late, eats at the hotel, rests, and leaves at 2 p.m. for the Qujiang Esports Center, arriving four hours before their scheduled match against Top Esports.
• They arrive early because of makeup requirements and the possibility that their match could begin sooner if the preceding TT versus BLG series ends quickly.
• Fans gather outside the venue, many carrying monkey dolls and coins to support doinb, while a smaller number have come to support NIP’s less-famous players.
• Takuya attracts attention from several female fans, who identify him by his new in-game name, Relife, and speculate about the origin of the name.
• After BLG defeats TT 3–1, NIP is called backstage. Takuya is confirmed as the starting jungler, replacing AKI for the opening game.
• NIP is introduced onstage before the match. Takuya experiences the spectacle of a professional arena for the first time, having never attended a live match in his previous life.
• Online viewers debate NIP’s decision to start an inexperienced rookie, while others defend Takuya because of his Korean-server rank-one achievement.
• The broadcast introduces Relife as a former RNG second-team player and a rookie making his LPL debut.

Character Developments

• Takuya/Relife: Takes his first step onto the LPL stage. Though outwardly casual and somewhat reserved with fans, he is internally struck by the scale of the live audience and the significance of the moment. His reputation as a high-ranked Korean-server player creates considerable expectations.
• Luo Bing: Demonstrates his role as a responsible manager by arranging the hotel, coordinating meals and rest, preparing for an early match, and guiding the team through the venue.
• AKI: Is temporarily benched for the first game but remains part of the team, waiting in the lounge while Takuya starts.
• doinb: Receives the strongest fan response, confirming his popularity and status as NIP’s main public draw. He enthusiastically greets the crowd.
• Shanji, Leave, and ppgad: Remain relatively obscure compared with doinb, highlighting their smaller but growing fan bases.
• Fans and online viewers: Their reactions establish Takuya as a controversial but intriguing newcomer whose debut is being closely watched.

Significant Themes

• The beginning of a new career: Takuya’s stage entrance marks the start of his professional LPL journey and a major turning point in his life.
• Public expectations and pressure: His immediate promotion to the starting lineup leads to skepticism, hype, and debate before he has even played.
• Popularity versus recognition: Doinb’s large fan following contrasts with the limited attention given to NIP’s younger players, including Takuya.
• Rebirth and opportunity: Takuya’s first live appearance reflects the broader theme of restarting his life and pursuing opportunities unavailable to him in his previous existence.
• The contrast between preparation and performance: The team’s careful schedule, rest, makeup, and warm-up preparations lead into the highly public and unpredictable moment of competition.

Character Interactions

• Luo Bing organizes and directs the team, reminding the players to rest and maintain their condition.
• Takuya travels and prepares alongside Shanji, Leave, ppgad, and doinb, but remains more detached in his interactions with the waiting fans.
• Fans discuss Takuya’s appearance and investigate his identity online, showing immediate curiosity about the new jungler.
• NIP’s players share the stage introduction, with Shanji leading Takuya out and doinb receiving the loudest welcome.
• Commentators and online viewers frame Takuya’s debut, questioning the decision to replace AKI while defending the rookie’s credentials.

Key plot points and events

• NIP wins the playoff coin toss and chooses blue side. In the draft, Top Esports bans doinb’s undefeated signature Ryze, while NIP first-picks Rabbit for him.
• NIP’s Takuya asks to play Troll, recognizing it can strip Sejuani’s defenses, work with Poppy, and use its pillar to disrupt the enemy’s immobile Xayah. He asks to hide the pick, so NIP takes Kai’Sa and Poppy first; after Top Esports reveals Xayah and Sejuani, NIP locks in Troll. Both teams’ final compositions also include Rell for NIP and Braum for Top Esports.
• At the opening, Top Esports groups toward top lane hoping to catch Shanji’s Poppy. Shanji spots them, wards, and retreats safely.
• The teams then lane-swap: Poppy faces 369’s Wolf Mother in bottom lane, while the two bottom-lane duos meet top. Takuya avoids a warded route, invades Kanavi’s lower jungle, and takes the camps. By level three, he notices 369 pushing aggressively against Shanji, creating a possible opening. The chapter ends before a fight occurs.

Character developments and interactions

• Takuya shows confidence and strategic foresight. He understands the draft’s matchups, conceals his counterpick, and exploits his knowledge of the game’s likely events without explaining it to the coach.
• Luo Bing gives Takuya room to choose his champion and accommodates his request to delay the pick. He also coordinates the draft around the Troll counter.
• Shanji stays alert during Top Esports’ attempted ambush and avoids being caught.
• Hongmi counters NIP’s opening picks by securing Viktor and Wolf Mother, but NIP’s delayed Troll pick preserves its surprise.
• 369 pressures Shanji in lane, apparently underestimating both Poppy and the danger of Takuya’s invasion.

Significant themes

• Draft strategy and adaptation: Champion choices are shaped by counters, team synergy, and denying opponents information.
• Hidden knowledge and surprise: Takuya’s familiarity with the expected game lets him anticipate the draft and jungle patterns, while he keeps that advantage secret.
• Confidence and underestimation: 369’s aggressive play may leave him exposed, while Shanji remains cautious and Takuya looks for an opportunity to punish the pressure.

Key events

• NIP’s rookie jungler, Takuya (“Relife”), and Shanji’s Poppy spring a level-one ambush on 369. After Poppy’s crowd control and Takuya’s damage leave him vulnerable, Poppy Flashes after him and secures First Blood.
• Kanavi responds by invading Takuya’s blue-side jungle, expecting to trade camps. Takuya anticipates this, returns quickly, and contests Kanavi’s Gromp.
• Takuya wins the Smite contest, reaching level four while Kanavi’s Sejuani remains level three. He interrupts her attempted escape with Troll’s pillar, then chases her down—even using Flash after Kanavi Flashes—and kills her in the river.
• Takuya takes both Scuttle Crabs, clears his bot-side camps, buys a Binding Furnace Axe, and heads back toward his top-side jungle. With his own camps unavailable, Kanavi goes toward top lane looking for a play.

Character developments and interactions

• Takuya establishes himself as bold, proactive, and strategically sharp: he predicts Kanavi’s counter-invade, times his return, and commits to the Gromp fight and chase.
• Kanavi’s usual confidence is shaken by the early setbacks; he is caught off guard by Takuya’s pillar interrupt and willingness to follow his Flash.
• Shanji’s Poppy works closely with Takuya in the opening gank, and NIP’s players celebrate their rookie jungler’s strong start. Top Esports, by contrast, grows quietly uneasy after losing both 369 and Kanavi early.

Significant themes

• Prediction and counterplay: Takuya turns Kanavi’s expected response into an advantage.
• Momentum and confidence: Two early kills and double Scuttle control give NIP hope, while Top Esports begins to feel pressure.
• Rookie audacity: Takuya challenges established star Kanavi without hesitation and gains the upper hand.

Chapter Summary: “Resource Control Was Complete”

Key Plot Points and Events

• NIP’s bottom lane, Leave and ppgod, detect Sejuani’s attempted gank because ppgad’s river tri-brush vision reveals her position. Rather than expose the ward, they pretend not to notice, allowing Sejuani to waste time waiting in ambush while Takuya clears Blue Buff and Wolves.
• kanavi eventually realizes the brush is likely warded, signals with question marks, and retreats to clear Krugs.
• A replay reveals that doinb has solo-killed Creme’s Viktor in mid lane. Viktor had repeatedly traded health, then stepped too far forward and died under his tower after Flashing away from doinb’s final auto attack.
• The unexpected death severely damages Top Esports’ early-game position. Creme’s Viktor is a late-game scaling champion who cannot afford an early solo death.
• NIP’s unfamiliar rookie jungler, Takuya, continues outperforming expectations against kanavi. With lane pressure and jungle control, he secures the first Elemental Dragon and then all three Void Grubs.
• Top Esports gives up the Void Grubs because Brother is already badly poked, mid lane lacks priority, and contesting would cost Creme an entire minion wave.
• Takuya gains a 400-gold lead over Sejuani and controls nearly every early resource. After reaching level six and shopping, he notices Wolf Mother alone under the top turret with reduced health and begins moving to gank her.

Character Developments

• Takuya: Establishes himself as a confident and highly capable rookie. He avoids unnecessary risks, efficiently controls jungle objectives, and maintains a significant lead over kanavi. His aggressive decision-making culminates in his move to attack the weakened Wolf Mother.
• doinb: Demonstrates his veteran skill by solo-killing Creme despite Viktor’s strong scaling potential. He downplays the achievement as luck, showing humility, though his teammates clearly admire him.
• Leave and ppgod: Display strong coordination and composure by manipulating Sejuani into wasting time in a warded brush instead of immediately revealing their information.
• kanavi: Although initially attempting to pressure NIP, he is repeatedly outmaneuvered. He recognizes the ward too late and loses control of the early jungle tempo.
• Creme: Suffers a costly and avoidable death after overextending during repeated trades. His death leaves Top Esports’ mid lane and overall early game weakened.
• Top Esports: Their confidence begins to collapse. They had expected to exploit NIP’s jungle-support weaknesses, but NIP’s unconventional strategy and Takuya’s performance disrupt those assumptions.

Significant Themes

• Resource control as strategic dominance: NIP converts lane pressure into dragons, Void Grubs, jungle camps, and gold advantages, steadily denying Top Esports opportunities to recover.
• Information and deception: Vision allows Leave and ppgod to predict the gank, while their performance of ignorance causes Sejuani to waste valuable time.
• Adaptability versus expectation: Top Esports prepared for NIP’s usual weaknesses and the lane-swap meta, but NIP’s unexpected jungler swap and aggressive approach invalidate their preparation.
• The pressure of early mistakes: Creme’s solo death illustrates how one misplay can have an amplified effect when it occurs on a scaling champion and opens the map to enemy objectives.
• Fan confidence and momentum: NIP’s early lead causes their supporters, especially the previously quiet “White Monkeys,” to flood the livestream chat with taunts and premature predictions of victory.

Character Interactions

• Leave congratulates Takuya as “Coin Bro,” reflecting his admiration for doinb and his respect for the rookie jungler’s performance.
• Takuya also praises doinb after the solo kill, while doinb modestly attributes it to luck.
• The commentators, Wang Duoduo and Miller, interpret the developing strategy for viewers, emphasizing NIP’s control and Top Esports’ lack of lane priority.
• The livestream chat mirrors the shifting momentum, with NIP supporters mocking those who had predicted an easy Top Esports victory.
• Takuya’s final decision to gank the isolated, weakened Wolf Mother sets up the chapter’s next confrontation.

Key plot points and events

• NIP repeats its coordinated four-into-one strategy in top lane. Doinb’s Rabbit disappears from mid while Takuya’s Troll cuts off 369’s Wolf Mother, leaving him trapped under his turret.
• With no help available—Creme farms mid and kanavi is in the lower jungle—369 is killed by NIP’s four players. NIP then rapidly destroys the top outer turret, taking the lead in kills and map initiative.
• Top Esports gives up the second Elemental Dragon rather than fight without vision and while Viktor is behind. Their attempted trade for NIP’s mid turret fails, as Leave and ppgod return to defend.
• Takuya and Doinb take NIP’s bottom outer turret, then rotate toward the Rift Herald.
• Top Esports contests the Herald with a Teleport. Kanavi’s Sejuani ultimate misses Kai’Sa, and Takuya’s pillar blocks the approach. No one dies; NIP secures the Herald and uses it to take Top Esports’ mid outer turret.

Character developments and interactions

• Doinb again demonstrates his system-focused, map-aware style, coordinating the top-lane gank and later working with Takuya to take the bottom turret.
• Takuya plays a key role in both the top-lane trap and the Herald fight, using Troll’s pillar to restrict Top Esports’ movement.
• 369 recognizes the danger but is isolated, unable to escape or get help; his attempted last stand is stopped by Rell’s stun.
• Creme and kanavi cannot—or do not—come to 369’s rescue, underscoring how NIP’s pressure has left Top Esports’ members separated.
• In the Herald contest, kanavi initiates but misses his ultimate, while NIP avoids overcommitting and turns the objective into a mid-turret push.

Significant themes

• Coordination and map control: NIP’s synchronized rotations and vision allow them to create advantages across the map.
• Pressure and isolation: Top Esports repeatedly has to choose between contesting objectives and avoiding a risky fight, while 369’s death shows the cost of being cut off from teammates.
• Objectives traded for objectives: NIP converts kills and turret pressure into dragons, the Herald, and outer turrets, steadily tightening its control of the game.

Key plot points and events

• Takuya redirects the Rift Herald away from mid lane and uses it to help destroy Top Esports’s top-lane inner turret, widening NIP’s gold lead to 4,000.
• With the third dragon about to spawn in an Infernal Soul game, Top Esports knows it must contest. Both teams position around the dragon pit and fight for control of the C-shaped Brush.
• Shanji’s Poppy knocks Top Esports’s Sejuani and Braum away, leaving their team without its jungler to contest the dragon.
• NIP secures the dragon. ppgod’s Rell then engages with her ultimate, pulling in three opponents, and NIP follows up with coordinated attacks.
• NIP kills Viktor, the opposing jungler, and Xayah, losing no players. The win puts NIP on soul point. Top Esports avoids further team fights, and NIP controls the rest of the game.

Character developments and interactions

• Takuya shows initiative with the Rift Herald play and later secures the dragon before joining the fight.
• Shanji’s well-timed Poppy ultimate proves pivotal, removing two key opponents from the contest and earning praise from his teammates.
• ppgod commits to a decisive Rell engage after briefly being told to wait; his initiation catches Top Esports while they are divided between fighting and retreating.
• NIP’s players coordinate their target switches effectively: Kai’Sa, Poppy, and Rabbit eliminate Viktor, while Troll and Kai’Sa bring down the enemy jungler. Leave abandons Xayah to help finish the jungler, and Kai’Sa later returns to kill Xayah.
• Top Esports’s response is fragmented: Sejuani’s attempt to protect Xayah comes too late, and the team retreats after the fight collapses.

Significant themes

• Objective control and preparation: Vision, brush control, and positioning determine who can contest the dragon.
• Coordination and timing: NIP’s successful fight follows Shanji’s displacement play and ppgod’s engage, turning a numbers advantage into a clean sweep.
• Momentum and mounting pressure: NIP’s growing gold lead and progress toward Infernal Soul leave Top Esports increasingly unable to challenge the game.

Plot points and events

• NIP abandon the fourth dragon when PPgod’s ward reveals Top Esports trying to take Baron. They arrive before TES can finish it.
• Troll’s pillar blocks TES’s retreat, and Poppy and Rell initiate a fight. Sejuani escapes, but Viktor and Braum are killed. Kai’Sa then tracks down and kills Xayah, leaving NIP with three kills and no losses.
• NIP finish Baron, take the fourth dragon, and use both buffs to push through mid and bot. They engage the remaining TES defenders, kill Wolf Mother, and destroy the Nexus before Xayah can respawn in time.
• NIP win game one of the series. The broadcast names Relife MVP for a standout 4/0/8 performance, including a major early-game gold lead over Sejuani.
• Backstage, coach Luo Bing praises Relife and confirms he will play game two. Aki is unhappy, having expected the rookie to struggle and give him a chance to return to the lineup.
• The teams return for game two’s draft. TES choose blue side and ban Ryze, Galio, and Udyr; NIP ban Skarner, Kalista, and Yone. TES open by picking Rumble.

Character developments and interactions

• Relife (Takuya/Lin Jingqi) proves composed and effective in his LPL debut, earning MVP and a place in the next game.
• Aki becomes increasingly uneasy as Relife’s success threatens his position.
• Luo Bing moves from concern about the rookie’s nerves to confidence in him, rewarding his performance with another start.
• NIP’s coordination is decisive: PPgod’s vision catches TES’s Baron attempt, Troll and Poppy cut off their escape, and the team quickly converts its fight win into objectives and a game-ending push.
• TES are left exposed by hesitation at Baron and the loss of three players; their surviving members cannot stop NIP’s final push.

Significant themes

• Preparation and vision: NIP’s ward turns TES’s objective gamble into an ambush.
• Confidence earned through performance: Relife’s debut overturns expectations and directly affects the team’s lineup.
• Momentum and decisive teamwork: NIP turn a won fight into Baron, dragon, inhibitors, and the Nexus without giving TES time to recover.

Key plot points and events

• NIP and Top Esports complete their drafts. NIP builds around K’Sante, Vi, Akali, Varus, and Alistar, while Top Esports chooses Wukong, Fox, Jhin, and Leona alongside its other picks. NIP’s composition offers strong crowd control and flexible ways to start or turn fights.
• At level one, Takuya directs all five NIP players to hide in a brush near Baron, anticipating that Top Esports will scout the area. Wukong enters alone and is immediately caught by Alistar’s knockup, Vi’s stun, and Jhin’s root. NIP kills him for first blood; Top Esports’ other nearby players retreat.
• Leave recalls with the kill’s gold advantage, buys a Long Sword, and returns to lane. Takuya stays in the jungle and plans to clear from top to bottom, aiming to pressure Top Esports’ bot lane.
• NIP wards near Top Esports’ Raptors to track Kanavi. Although Kanavi later approaches the area without Flash, the passage ends before any further encounter. Both junglers begin with mirrored routes, clearing their respective sides.

Character developments

• Takuya (Relife) shows continued confidence and strategic initiative, organizing the ambush and planning his jungle route around bot-lane pressure.
• Leave converts the team’s setup into first blood, then gains an early lane advantage from the extra gold.
• Kanavi is caught by NIP’s trap and loses both first blood and his Flash, putting him at an early disadvantage.
• Doinb willingly locks in Akali, a champion associated with his signature plays.

Significant themes

• Preparation and prediction: NIP’s ambush succeeds because Takuya anticipates Top Esports’ level-one vision play.
• Team coordination: Layered crowd control and focused damage turn one opponent’s mistake into a clean kill.
• Information and map control: Both teams use wards to track jungle starts and assess the possibility of invades.

Character interactions

• Takuya’s teammates follow his level-one call, trusting the jungler’s judgment.
• NIP’s players coordinate their abilities to keep Wukong locked down until Leave finishes the kill.
• Top Esports’ nearby players withdraw rather than risk fighting NIP outnumbered.